Lent

'We come before you, giving thanks and praise for your amazing love. This Lenten season, we remember how you came to earth, suffered, died, and rose from the grave, declaring victory over death.'

One Sunday, while running late to church, I made an unspoken New York City faux pas: I locked eyes with a woman lingering by the subway turnstiles.

Have you ever felt like life just pushed you into the ground? Where circumstances were so overwhelming, you not only fall, but you feel crushed under the weight of it all? I have.

Lent is a season spent in the wilderness that leads to strengthened hope and perfect shalom.

Work and purpose are closely connected. Especially in America. Especially in New York City.

Whatever you may [or may not] abstain from during this Lenten Season, I encourage you to walk toward Resurrection Sunday with expectation.

Lent has traditionally been a liturgical season of ‘alms-giving’, where we let go of our own desires and focus on the needs of others, especially the poor and needy.

Fasting helps to holistically create a bridge into the condition of the poor—it creates a connection that’s not just contemplated, but felt.

Volunteering and engaging volunteers as part of my full-time work at The Bowery Mission stems from my own turbulent experiences in New York City.

Sarah Bourns Crosby, Pastor of Formation at Hope Midtown, kindly shared a poem inspired by Good Friday. Make sure to follow the Practice and Prayer sections to reflect on the meaning of sacrifice and love.